Typhoon Mindulle lashes Tokyo with heavy rain, disruptive winds
The powerful typhoon will not make a direct strike on Japan, but AccuWeather forecasters say the country will still have to contend with tropical downpours and potentially damaging winds.
By
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Oct 1, 2021 6:23 AM EST
Typhoon Mindulle spins over the Philippine Sea Thursday evening, Sept. 30, 2021. Satellite imagery showed the storm had developed a sizable eye. (CIRA/RAMMB)
As Japan braces for its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, AccuWeather forecasters say the storm remains formidable as it churns over the Philippine Sea. While Mindulle hasn't held its super typhoon title since the start of the week, forecasters caution that the storm still has the capacity to pack quite a punch.
As of Friday evening, local time, Typhoon Mindulle was located in the Philippine Sea and was tracking to the northeast at 22 mph (35 km/h). According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Mindulle had maximum 10-minute average sustained winds of 92 mph (148 km/h), classifying it as a Typhoon and equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
Two women wearing face masks share an umbrella as they walk on the main approach to the famed Sensoji temple in Tokyo, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. A powerful typhoon pounded Japan and some of its eastern islands Friday with gusts and downpours of rain, grounding some domestic flights and halting trains. The Tokyo area was getting heavy rain and blowing wind at midday, but no injuries have been reported. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
While rough surf started to impact Japan's southern shores as early as Wednesday, Mindulle's outer bands began to deliver heavy, tropical rainfall to southern Honshu as early as midday Thursday. Rain and wind began to intensify in Tokyo Friday morning. Wind gusts peaked in Tokyo Friday evening, recording at 61 mph (98 km/h).
Winds of this magnitude suspended some railway travel in Chiba Friday, as well as caused the Haneda Airport to cancel over 100 flights, according to the Japan Times. On Friday, there were also reports of power outages affected about 9,600 buildings in the Tokyo, Japan, area.
The most significant rainfall, as of Friday evening, was reported southeast of Tokyo. The town of Katsuura in Chiba reported over 9.5 inches (242 mm) of rainfall in just 24 hours time. Tokyo itself came in with rain amounts around 3.75 inches (95 mm).
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On Friday evening, Mindulle had made its closest approach to mainland Japan, sideswiping the southeastern portion of Honshu. Through the weekend, the typhoon is forecast to gradually lose wind intensity as it moves away from Honshu.
"Mindulle will start to race off to the northeast into Saturday, bringing the majority of the impacts to Tokyo to an end," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman. Zartman added that doing so will pull the tropical feature into an area of cooler waters and disruptive winds, eventually allowing the loss of wind intensity.
However, bands of rain will still continue to lash portions of eastern Honshu and eastern Hokkaido through Saturday morning. The heavy, tropical rainfall will bring the potential for flash flooding, and even mudslides in the higher terrain. Lingering travel delays as well as treacherous beach and boating conditions are also likely to continue.
After initially developing last week, Mindulle reached super typhoon intensity on Sunday when its maximum 1-minute sustained winds reached 150 mph (241 km/h), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). Winds of this strength are equivalent to a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, used mainly in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific basins.
Early Monday, Mindulle lost some wind intensity and was stripped of its super typhoon designation.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
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News / Hurricane
Typhoon Mindulle lashes Tokyo with heavy rain, disruptive winds
The powerful typhoon will not make a direct strike on Japan, but AccuWeather forecasters say the country will still have to contend with tropical downpours and potentially damaging winds.
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Oct 1, 2021 6:23 AM EST
Typhoon Mindulle spins over the Philippine Sea Thursday evening, Sept. 30, 2021. Satellite imagery showed the storm had developed a sizable eye. (CIRA/RAMMB)
As Japan braces for its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, AccuWeather forecasters say the storm remains formidable as it churns over the Philippine Sea. While Mindulle hasn't held its super typhoon title since the start of the week, forecasters caution that the storm still has the capacity to pack quite a punch.
As of Friday evening, local time, Typhoon Mindulle was located in the Philippine Sea and was tracking to the northeast at 22 mph (35 km/h). According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Mindulle had maximum 10-minute average sustained winds of 92 mph (148 km/h), classifying it as a Typhoon and equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic and East Pacific basins.
Two women wearing face masks share an umbrella as they walk on the main approach to the famed Sensoji temple in Tokyo, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021. A powerful typhoon pounded Japan and some of its eastern islands Friday with gusts and downpours of rain, grounding some domestic flights and halting trains. The Tokyo area was getting heavy rain and blowing wind at midday, but no injuries have been reported. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
While rough surf started to impact Japan's southern shores as early as Wednesday, Mindulle's outer bands began to deliver heavy, tropical rainfall to southern Honshu as early as midday Thursday. Rain and wind began to intensify in Tokyo Friday morning. Wind gusts peaked in Tokyo Friday evening, recording at 61 mph (98 km/h).
Winds of this magnitude suspended some railway travel in Chiba Friday, as well as caused the Haneda Airport to cancel over 100 flights, according to the Japan Times. On Friday, there were also reports of power outages affected about 9,600 buildings in the Tokyo, Japan, area.
The most significant rainfall, as of Friday evening, was reported southeast of Tokyo. The town of Katsuura in Chiba reported over 9.5 inches (242 mm) of rainfall in just 24 hours time. Tokyo itself came in with rain amounts around 3.75 inches (95 mm).
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
On Friday evening, Mindulle had made its closest approach to mainland Japan, sideswiping the southeastern portion of Honshu. Through the weekend, the typhoon is forecast to gradually lose wind intensity as it moves away from Honshu.
"Mindulle will start to race off to the northeast into Saturday, bringing the majority of the impacts to Tokyo to an end," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman. Zartman added that doing so will pull the tropical feature into an area of cooler waters and disruptive winds, eventually allowing the loss of wind intensity.
However, bands of rain will still continue to lash portions of eastern Honshu and eastern Hokkaido through Saturday morning. The heavy, tropical rainfall will bring the potential for flash flooding, and even mudslides in the higher terrain. Lingering travel delays as well as treacherous beach and boating conditions are also likely to continue.
After initially developing last week, Mindulle reached super typhoon intensity on Sunday when its maximum 1-minute sustained winds reached 150 mph (241 km/h), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). Winds of this strength are equivalent to a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, used mainly in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific basins.
Early Monday, Mindulle lost some wind intensity and was stripped of its super typhoon designation.
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